


born this way

by simplyverstappen



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alcohol and Glitter, Coming Out, Established Relationship, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Pride, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Idiots in Love, Internalized Homophobia, Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, M/M, Pride, The Gang Goes To Pride, and I have written some pretty gay shit, this is the gayest thing I have ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24487459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyverstappen/pseuds/simplyverstappen
Summary: The FIA sends 13 of their drivers to Pride in London - to brush up a little on their image and make the sport seem more tolerant and diverse. The drivers have clear instructions: behave, don’t do anything stupid and don’t, for the love of God, ruin your own image.Dan is not so sure about that though - 13 drivers at Pride with hundreds of thousands of fans and alcohol?It sounds like pure chaos and Dan is all here for it.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/Lando Norris/George Russell, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen/Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly/Charles Leclerc
Comments: 66
Kudos: 339





	born this way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WafflesAndPancakes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WafflesAndPancakes/gifts).



> huh, Happy Pride Month people! 💛🏳️🌈
> 
> I'm gifting this one to **waffles/lill** bc we talked about "Drivers at Pride" quite a while and then this happened - this is my way of dealing with the pandemic and Pride being cancelled everywhere (ofc with good reason!) 
> 
> I attended my first Pride in London years ago as a baby gay and it's just such a special environment and means so much to me. I basically wrote this One-Shot for me (and waffles and a few others sksksks) so if you don't like it/are not comfortable with seeing the drivers at Pride don't read it, please 💛 
> 
> All of this is obviously fiction and never happened, don't take it too serious but I think that goes without saying 
> 
> I do hope it brings you some happiness in these times and I'm sending you all so much love 💛🏳️🌈

**PROLOGUE**

“We have to show the fans and the media that we are a tolerant and diverse sport and care about minorities.” This was what the FIA had told them and to be honest, none of the drivers had looked excited about it. 

Well, no one except maybe Lewis. 

But they doubted that the efforts of the FIA were really genuine - they all knew it was about their image and not the people.

“We’ve decided that 13 of you will represent Formula One at London Pride next weekend - you’ll get a truck in the parade and it’s going to be a PR event.” The drivers had exchanged quick looks, all looking mostly confused, some of them frowning- London Pride?! 

That’s- 

“Lewis, Sebastian, Kimi, Valtteri, Max, Daniel, Charles, Nico, Kevin, George, Alex, Lando and Pierre - you will be going to London and represent us accordingly. Mingle with the fans, take pictures with them, give some interviews if journalists are there. If you should refuse to g, there will be severe consequences. You can go.” 

There was shuffling and chairs getting pushed back, the drivers leaving the briefing room, whispering to each other about the newest development and glances were sneaked at the chosen 13. 

No one knew if they should envy them or not. 

**DANIEL - JUNE 2021 - LONDON**

“So. Pride.” Max doesn’t look convinced when they get dressed in the morning, he’s fidgeting and Dan stops pulling his socks up for a moment to give him a soft smile. 

After the FIA announced that 13 of them would join the parade at London Pride, the whole thing blew up immediately after it got public. Twitter and Reddit basically lost their shit, same went for the sponsors and the fans. Dan knows Max is anxious - especially since Jos called Max and tried to force him to cancel the event, telling him it’s bad for his image.

What fucking bullshit. 

Dan doesn’t get the big deal behind it, especially since they have the excuse that they _have_ to go and he takes Max’s hands in his, kissing him softly. 

“What’s wrong?”, he asks and Max hesitates, eyes wandering over Dan’s colourful flower shirt that’s not completely buttoned and the rainbow cap he’s wearing. 

“I-“ Max stumbles a bit over his words and he takes a deep breath. 

“I’m scared people will find out about us”, he says quietly, squeezing Dan’s hand a bit tighter. 

“And with ‘people’ you mean your father”, Dan concludes and Max nods slowly, not daring to look Dan in the eyes. 

“I’ve never been to Pride”, he then confesses. “Never.” 

“Did you ever want to go?” Dan lets go of Max’s hands to finish with his socks and Max shrugs half-heartedly. “Maybe? Dan, being gay has never been an option in the first place.” 

He sounds bitter and Dan grabs his phone before walking back to Max, pulling him in a tight hug. 

“I’ve been one time in Perth when I was still young and innocent”, he mumbles, gently massaging Max’s tense shoulders. “Lots of alcohol and glitter, you’ll love it.”

“But no one of the other drivers is gay”, Max whispers, fear in his eyes while simultaneously leaning into Dan’s touch. “Except Seb and Kimi but they’re also very secretive about their relationship!” 

“It’s going to be fine, baby. They won’t know if you don’t want to and if you want to let them know, I’m sure they won’t mind.” Dan cups his face in his hands, pressing another soft kiss on his lips before fishing for the rainbow cap Red Bull supplied Max with, gently placing it on his head.

“It’s going to be a lot like driver’s parade, except that it’s a little bit longer and that we’re allowed to get drunk.” He grins and Max smiles slightly, taking a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.” 

They leave the hotel room, Max staying a bit closer to Dan’s side than he normally would in public but Dan leaves it uncommented, only smiling and pressing the button for the elevator. 

They meet Lando, Alex and George in the elevator and Dan can feel Max relax slightly when he sees that the three rookies also dressed up a little for the occasion, Lando even having a rainbow flag bound around his hips, grinning broadly. 

All three are wearing a ‘Generation Acceptance’ T-Shirt and Dan can’t help but feel a wave of warm affection wash over him for his teammate. Bless the kids, seriously.

“Good Morning!”, Lando says cheerfully when they step in the elevator, nudging George with his elbow a little to make space for them and Max’s smile turns a bit more genuine, secretly squeezing Dan’s hand when the elevator doors are closing again. 

“You’ve ever been to Pride?”, Max asks and while George and Alex both shake their hands - George looking a little bit anxious as well - Lando nods. 

“Kinda. Was in London a few years ago with my family and Pride happened to fall on that day. We didn’t go because my mum had things to do but it looked fun.” His eyes are shining and Dan grins, his hand touching Max’s for a second.

He’s not going to lie, he’s also excited for today and Alex grins as well. “I read that they expect over a million people today.” 

Max pales a little at that but Lando just laughs, looking completely relaxed. Dan is once more amazed by his younger teammate but that’s probably because he’s a typical Gen Z kid and he wants to say something but then the elevator doors open again and they’ve reached the lobby. 

Most of the others are already here and Dan wants to say Hi when he spots Lewis and stops dead in his tracks. So do Max, Lando, Alex and George, all of them staring at Lewis and Dan needs a moment. 

Lewis seemed to completely embrace the motto for today: he’s shirtless, wearing some green-yellow pants and Dan grins - he’s even wearing giant feather wings, strapped to his shoulders. Small rainbow pearls are weaved into his braids, sunglasses on his nose and he has a huge smile on his face, looking completely relaxed and comfortable with himself. 

He looks a bit like a colourful angel but he looks _good_ and so extra that Dan isn’t really surprised. 

He shakes his head amused, pulling Max along - who still looks a bit shocked, but seriously, what did he expect, it’s _Lewis_ \- and Dan quickly looks at the others. 

Valtteri looks pretty normal, wearing black shorts and a T-Shirt and Dan’s gaze wanders to Kimi and Seb. Kimi is going in all black with the exception of a tiny rainbow flag being on his T-Shirt and Dan smiles when he sees the black sunglasses on his face. Kimi looks as unbothered as always and somehow Dan is not surprised. 

It’s, in a strange way, calming. 

Seb is wearing a loose white shirt, buttons open, sunglasses on his face and leaning against Kimi - nothing unusual, really. Hulk, Kevin and Pierre look pretty normal and Charles- look, it’s Charles. 

He’s probably the only one of them next to Lewis who manages to make the rainbow colours fashion but he looks nervous, smiling when Dan grins at him. 

“All good?”, he asks, ignoring Max for a second and Charles shrugs. “Guess so. Nice socks.” 

He grins and Dan laughs, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks.” He’s wearing socks from his own collection, white ones with rainbow stripes and Hulk clears his throat. “Let’s get this over with.” 

He looks tired and Lewis grins, nodding. He seems so oddly out of place with his outfit in the fancy lobby of the Grosvenor Hotel in the middle of Belgravia and on the other hand, seems to fit in so easily, like he owns the place - Dan envies him a little. 

“The FIA said we shouldn’t do anything stupid, spread some positivity and love and behave - I think we can do that, right?” Lewis looks up from his phone, still grinning and Dan smirks. He’s not so sure about the ‘behave’ and ‘don’t do anything stupid’ part - 13 drivers at Pride with hundreds of thousands of fans and alcohol? 

It sounds like pure chaos and Dan is all here for it.

“Do we know where we have to go?”, Charles asks, not looking convinced at all and Lewis nods, his phone still in his hand. “We’re getting picked up, the parade starts at Portland Place and ends at Whitehall. Most of the crowd will be there, there will be some musical performances - Dua Lipa and so on - and two stages and one of us has to hold a speech - the FIA said either Kimi, Daniel, Sebastian or me.” 

Lewis looks up but before anyone can say something, Kimi shakes his head. “No.” 

“What do you mean No’?” Kevin raises his eyebrows amused and Kimi snorts. “I’m not giving a speech.” 

“And I wouldn’t trust Dan”, Hulk throws in and Dan flips him off, grinning broadly. “I’m perfectly capable of behaving myself.” 

“I would know of that”, Max mumbles next to him and Dan clutches his chest in fake offence. “Maxy!”

“I think Lewis is the best one for that”, Seb says with a warm smile, ignoring their bickering. “You’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Lewis smiles as well, nodding at the door. “Let’s do this.” 

There are already a few cars waiting for them in front of the Grosvenor Hotel, supposed to bring them to Portland Place and after they’re all inside - it was a bit complicated to get Lewis’s wings in there without losing any feathers - they start moving. 

Dan and Max are sharing a car with Hulk and Kevin, and Dan can feel Max tense next to him the closer they get to Portland Place. He subtly squeezes his hand quickly, making sure that Hulk and Kevin don’t see the gesture and Max gives him a nervous smile. 

The streets are already crowded, rainbow flags are everywhere and Dan can’t help but grin broadly. The people might not know about his sexuality but it feels good to be here and to support them. Even if he has to pretend to be ‘just an ally’. 

He never thought about which driver could be gay - it didn’t matter. It doesn’t matter in a sport that is dominated by a very toxic image of masculinity and Dan has never cared much about it. He has Max and that’s all that matters to him, even though they have to keep their relationship a secret. 

And it’s a pain in the ass sometimes, the constant watching their back in public and making sure they’re just ‘friends’ but Dan would do absolutely everything for Max - as long as he has him, it’s all worth it. 

Hulk knows about Max and him but only because he caught them kissing two years ago - and Dan trusts him. There’s no room for this in their sport and even though Dan isn’t so sure about which driver today might be gay, he’s happy to see that they’re all so supportive in their own way. 

Even though it’s a little forced from the FIA. 

But for once Dan doesn’t resent them, he’s actually quite grateful that they made it possible for Max and him to go to such an event without the media immediately being after them and when they reach Portland Place, stepping into the busy crowd of people working, running around and trying to organise all the different trucks, Dan can’t stop smiling and soaking in the atmosphere around him. 

It feels good to be here. 

Someone from the organisers already waits for them, showing them their truck and when they’re on it, Dan takes a deep breath, taking a quick look around. There are some confetti canons, sweets, the alcohol Hulk and he ordered (sue him, he’s here for a good time) and huge music boxes. 

He considers connecting his phone to them when Lewis pushes past him, feathers nearly hitting Dan in the face and Lewis gives him an apologetic look before handing him his phone. 

“I made a playlist for today, can you-“, he doesn’t even finish his sentence, only unlocking his phone before handing out water bottles to Lando, Alex and George. 

Dan looks at the phone and snorts when he sees the playlist that’s called ‘gay & fast’, mostly consisting of ABBA, Madonna and Lady Gaga. Dan taps on the first song - ‘Bootylicious’ by Destiny’s Child - and not two seconds later Lewis takes his phone back, calling someone. 

Dan stares at him a little dumbfounded and watches Lewis pace over the truck, talking quickly. They haven’t started moving yet, people are still running around everywhere and Dan exchanges a confused look with Max. Max still looks tense, clutching on to his water bottle for dear life while leaning against the railing and Dan leans next to him. 

He unintentionally hums along to Bootylicious and grins when he sees Max shakes his head amused. 

“We’re here, come on- yes I _know_ there are many people, I can see them, that is- just push through it’s not that hard- I _live_ in London, I know my way around you can trust me- where the fuck are you?!” Lewis paces around the truck and Dan and Max exchange a confused look. What- 

Lando, George and Alex are chatting with Charles and Pierre a bit on the side while Kevin, Valtteri, Seb and Kimi are discussing something and Hulk, who just joined Max and Dan, wants to say something when Lewis shouts a “fucking finally” and pulls someone else on the track. 

That someone else is Nico fucking Rosberg and while most of them just stare at the German a bit confused (what is he _doing_ here, doesn’t he live in Monaco, don’t Nico and Lewis _hate_ each other-), Lando squeaks a loud “NICO!” before throwing himself in Nico’s arms.

“What the fuck”, Max mumbles and Dan wants to say something but then Lewis gives Nico the biggest smile since probably 2008 before he _kisses_ him and Dan is actually speechless. 

And, mind him, that doesn’t happen too often. 

“What the fuck”, Max repeats, actually shocked and when Lewis pulls back, all remaining drivers are staring at him - except Lando, Alex and George who’re just grinning. 

“I thought you two hated each other?!”, Hulk asks slowly but Lewis just laughs while Nico - Nico fucking Rosberg, personified confidence - blushes a little. 

“Nico and I are married”, he explains before lifting their joined hands and only now Dan notices the golden wedding ring around Lewis’s finger. What- 

“Married in December 2016 after I won the championship”, Nico adds, a happy smile on his face and Dan needs a moment to comprehend the situation. 

Lewis Hamilton - best driver on the grid, 7 times World Champion - is married to Nico Rosberg. His former teammate, rival, friend. His formerly biggest enemy, the person you only had to mention for Lewis to throw things at you. 

“We kept it a secret and we‘re coming out today”, Lewis explains, he looks proud and Dan shakes his head amused. Of course Lewis would choose the most extra and dramatic way to out himself and he only realises now that Nico is wearing black eyeliner. 

Gay. 

“Didn’t the FIA say we shouldn’t do anything stupid?”, Kimi asks dryly but Lewis just grins, still holding Nico’s hand. “They never specified what they mean exactly with ‘stupid.’” He has a point and Dan can feel Max relax next to him a little. 

Good. 

The truck starts moving slowly and Dan gets them all some drinks, Hulk and he handing everyone a cup, Kimi even smiling slightly at the prospect of getting some alcohol.

“The FIA apparently thought I’m the most responsible person from all of us so I got access to their Instagram account for today”, Lewis declares, a huge grin on his face, Nico’s arm around his waist - still a sight Dan has to get used to. But they look so content and Kimi snorts. 

“I’m gonna go live later, maybe post a few pictures”, Lewis just ignores Kimi, still beaming and looking so at peace and happy with himself and his sexuality that Dan actually envies him a little. He has never been ashamed of being gay but seeing Lewis so chill- it does help a little tho. 

A few feathers are laying on the ground, they all avoid to get hit by Lewis’s wings and ‘Mamma Mia’ by ABBA plays in the background - Dan loves it. They reached the crowds, people cheering and screaming when they see them and it really isn’t that much different from a drivers parade - except that it’s so much gayer. 

“You’re okay?”, Dan asks Max gently, taking his hand and Max shrugs, downing his drink. 

“Nervous”, he admits, eyeing the crowds a little warily and Dan smiles, slinging an arm around his neck - they’ve always been affectionate with each other and he doubts someone will care. 

Lewis and Nico are shamelessly making out with each other, ignoring the screams from the fans and Dan sees that Lando stole Lewis’s phone, most likely posting something on the F1 Instagram account - Dan doesn’t even try to stop him. 

He’s here for the chaos and he hands Max another drink, giving him a warm smile. 

“I’m proud of you”, he says quietly and Max tentatively smiles back, eyes wandering over the crowd while he leans against Dan.

“Not that bad, eh?”, Dan says, he can’t stop grinning and Max shakes his head amused, relaxing more and more. “Can’t believe there are that many people”, he replies and Dan shrugs, throwing a bit of glitter he found in the crowd. 

“We live in a bubble”, he says and his smile widens when Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ comes on. 

“Maxy, you have to dance with me!”, he shouts over the music, a big grin on his face. “Absolutely not.” Max watches amused how Dan starts dancing, pulling a reluctant Hulk and a more excited Lando with him, Lando still being live on Instagram. 

Dan yells along to the lyrics, just enjoying the moment and having a good time, Max watching him with a fond look in his eyes and Dan knows that there will be videos of him dancing to the song on the internet later. 

Reddit and Twitter are gonna have a field day but he couldn’t care less. 

For a moment he can pretend he’s not straight and he throws some more glitter over Lando, the kid laughing loudly and nearly dropping Lewis’s phone. 

“Have you ever considered outing yourself?”, Max asks when they pass Oxford Circus and Dan nods, taking a sip from his water bottle - it’s about the balance, he doesn’t need to get completely wasted at 3 pm already. 

“Yeah but it’s hard, you know? You always think ‘next year I’m gonna do it’ but then something else always seems more important. And you never dare to be the first one, maybe ruining your whole career with it. And you think if it’s worth it.” 

He shrugs, staring at the sea of people they pass and smiles when Max reluctantly takes his hand. Baby steps. 

“I think about it every day”, Max admits so quietly Dan nearly doesn’t hear him. “And I know today is just a way for the FIA to brush up their own fucking image and we’re just a pawn in their game but...I really want it.” 

Dan squeezes his hand quietly, smiling and throwing some more confetti in the crowd before turning to Max. 

“Whatever you wanna do, I’ll support you”, he says, giving him a warm smile. “I’ll always be by your side, okay?” 

“I know.” Max smiles, he looks like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he takes a sip from his drink. “And I know all these people...they don’t really cheer for us. But seeing so many people being supportive in general...it helps.” 

“Yeah, it makes you really realise that we’re not alone”, Dan agrees before he pulls Max in a tight hug. “And you’re doing great.” 

“Thank you.” Max smiles, burying his face in Dan’s neck and Dan feels the all too familiar tingle in his stomach. 

They spend the rest of the drive to Whitehall with dancing, drinking and posting Instagram stories and when they reach the end, Max is laughing, looking genuinely relaxed and Dan loves it so much. 

Loves him so much and no one notices that they’re holding hands when they’re leaving the truck, following Lewis and the others on the big stage, trying not to stumble over any feathers that fall from Lewis’s wings. 

The place is completely crowded, a sea of rainbows and people and Lewis steps forward with all the confidence in the world - before he can take the mic though, Max quickly takes a step forward and snatches it from his hands. 

Lewis looks genuinely confused and Dan stares at his boyfriend, unsure what to do. What-

Max clears his throat, the crowd is dead silent, all staring at him and Dan blinks, completely overwhelmed with the situation. Does he- 

“To all the homophobic assholes out there - and you know who you are - _fuck you_ ”, Max says with a firm voice before he hands the mic to Lewis, walks back to Dan and before Dan realises it, Max kisses him passionately. The crowd erupts in cheers and screams, Lewis says something but Dan doesn’t care, only pulling Max closer and kissing him back. 

All he cares about is Max in his arms, Max being _so fucking brave_ , kissing him in front of all these people and how warm and good his lips feel on his own.

“Fuck, Maxy”, Dan whispers hoarsely when they break apart, only having eyes for each other and Max grins sheepishly, not letting go off Dan though. 

“Fuck all of this homophobic bullshit”, he mumbles, leaning his forehead against Dan’s. “Fuck it. We’re happy and all these people- they’re all supporting us- fuck this shit.” He grins and Dan laughs, just kissing him again. 

Yes, they talked about it this just today but- fuck, he’s so proud of Max. He feels relieved, ignoring the consequences that will inevitably follow and just holding on closer to Max. 

They didn’t pay attention to Lewis’s speech, only hearing the crowd cheer at the end but that was to be expected - it’s Lewis after all. 

Things are a little easier after that, they split up and mingle with all the people, strolling through the city and when it gets darker, Max and Dan end up in a gay club in Soho. Something Dan wouldn’t even have dreamed of just a few weeks ago and seeing Max so carefree, laughing and dancing with him - it’s all worth it.

Dan is currently yelling along to the lyrics of ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ by Bonnie Tyler, Max laughing loudly and pulling Dan closer, them actually having a good time and Dan has never been happier. The club is crowded, no one seems to recognise them or they simply don’t _care_ and Dan loves it so fucking much. 

He’s sweating, a drink in his hand and he downs the cool liquid, some Vodka Red Bull (old habits die hard) and seeing Max’s smile in the flashing lights, feeling the beat in his bones, Dan falls for him all over again. Max is wearing a rainbow flag tied around his hips, eyes bright and he’s a little bit tipsy but happier than Dan has seen him in _years_. 

Fuck Jos Verstappen and his A+ Parenting, really. 

Dan knows they will go back in their F1 bubble tomorrow, back to the tight restrictions of their world, the strict heteronormative view and the ‘Gay Drivers Don’t Exist’ rule. God, he doesn’t even want to think about the consequences of today.

But tonight they are free, can be whoever they want to be and he pulls Max in a long kiss, shamelessly making out with him on the dance floor. 

He hasn’t checked his social media all day, he has just posted a quick Instagram story from the truck and took some pictures and he also couldn’t care less. Let the fans think whatever they want, right now he has the most important person in his life in his arms and Dan presses himself a little closer. 

He can feel that Max is hard, catches the small moan that escapes him against Dan’s lips and Dan smirks, thumb trailing over Max’s cheek. My god, he’s so beautiful.

They’re still dancing, Max maybe a bit clumsier than Daniel while Dan doesn’t even care how obscene his dancing is - this night, nothing matters. All that matters is Max and he pulls him closer. 

“I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night”, he yells the lyrics, Max laughing and Dan grins, kissing him. 

“He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight”, he continues singing, Max snorting, an amused grin on his face. 

“Anything else?!”, he yells back over the loud music and Dan laughs, pulling him in another long kiss. 

They stay like that, kissing in the middle of an overcrowded dance floor in downtown Soho, feeling normal for just one evening, becoming one with the crowd and Dan has never been happier.

And if Max gives him a blowjob in the toilets later that night, no one has to know - everyone else is doing it too.

**SEBASTIAN - JUNE 2021 - LONDON**

He’s holding someone rainbow balloons Alex handed him half an hour ago, the truck slowly moving through the masses, Dan dancing to Lewis’ Playlist with Lando and a still reluctant Hulk - Seb remembers that he told him just this morning that he’s ‘not gay, just here as an ally’ - and Seb involuntarily smiles. 

It’s way more relaxed than he thought it would be, Kimi’s arm around his waist and if the fans pick up on the little gestures - well, Seb realises he doesn’t care. Maybe it’s the magic of Pride, the accepting atmosphere all around them, them getting out of their bubble but it’s such a nice change. 

He feels like he can breathe freely for the first time in years. 

“I really thought we would be the only ones today”, Kimi mumbles next to him, gaze fixed on Lewis and Nico still shamelessly making out and Seb laughs. He doesn’t need to ask who Kimi means with ‘the only ones’ - he also woke up this morning believing Kimi and he are the only gay drivers on the grid. 

Okay, maybe they could’ve guessed Lewis but it’s _Lewis_ and somehow Seb has a feeling that Max and Dan - especially Dan - also aren’t as straight as he always thought. 

But he would never pry and instead leans closer against Kimi, taking a sip from his water bottle. He watches Dan dance to ‘You’re The One That I Want’, dramatically pointing at Max who just looks at him amused and Seb smiles. Max looks a lot more relaxed than this morning and it’s good to see that the kid is slowly warming up to it. 

“Who created that playlist?”, Kimi asks at that moment and Seb laughs, shrugging. “Lewis probably. It’s a … special music taste.” Kimi just snorts before kissing his cheek and Seb can’t help but blush - they’ve never been really affectionate in public even though they’re together for such a long time now. 

Kimi, who seems to notice his nervousness, takes his hand and gives him a rare smile. “Relax, _kulta_. No one here gives a shit.” 

“I know. And I just... I feel really lucky to be here today with you. Semi-outed.” Seb returns his smile and Kimi hesitates for a second before he presses a short, soft kiss on his lips. 

“Proud of you”, he mumbles and Seb grins, biting his lip. He feels like a teenager again, doing something forbidding but when he looks at the sea of rainbow flags, the crowd of cheering people they pass- it’s hard to feel ashamed for it. 

It’s hard to be scared and even though he knows they’ll go back in their Formula One bubble, he allows himself to be happy for the moment. To dream of a future in which Kimi and he live together, are proud and open about their relationship and his smile widens when his gaze falls on Lando, Alex and George, the kids filming Dan and themselves while yelling along to song lyrics and proudly throwing confetti in the crowd. 

Maybe the world is slowly changing and Seb knows how privileged he is. 

“I’m still mad at the FIA for trying to take this and twist it in their favour”, Kimi says suddenly and Seb nods. “We know they don’t give a shit about the LGBTQ community.”

“It’s just...it leaves a bitter taste you know? And on the other hand, it feels so good because they have no idea and I should be grateful because without them we probably couldn’t have attended anything like that without a fuss so…” Kimi trails off and Seb silently agrees with him. 

They both know that the FIA doesn’t give a shit about their rights and he sighs, leaning against Kimi. 

They can’t change it, at least not now. 

“Seb, I need a favour.” Lewis appears out of nowhere in front of him, Nico - his _husband_ , Seb has to remind himself - next to him and Seb raises his eyebrows. “What is it?” 

“Look, Nico and I haven’t really figured out what we’re gonna do after we mingled with the crowd so could you maybe have an eye on Lando, Alex and George?” Lewis gives him a pleading look and Kimi snorts. 

“So you basically want us to babysit your sons while you fuck your husband in some club?”, he says dryly and Lewis blushes. “Something like that, yeah.” 

“Except that he is the one getting fucked”, Nico adds helpfully and Kimi glares at him. “Things I didn’t need to know, Rosberg.” 

“Sure, we can try keeping an eye on them”, Seb comes back to their original topic, a small smile on his face and Lewis exhales, visibly relieved. “Good. I don’t want them to get lost or something. You two are the best.” 

He presses a kiss on both of their cheeks before leaving to the other side of the truck again, two feathers from his wings falling gently to the ground. 

Nico follows him after giving them another grin and Seb shakes his head amused. 

“So we’re not just babysitting Charles but also three more”, Kimi states dryly with his raspy voice and Seb shrugs, gaze wandering to Charles who’s talking with Pierre. 

“He looks a little nervous”, he says with a frown and Kimi follows his gaze. “Probably has a crush on Pierre.” 

“You think so?!” Seb turns to him with raised eyebrows but Kimi only shrugs. “He’s giving him heart eyes the whole day already, Seb. The whole season, if we’re being honest.” 

Seb turns back to Charles, watches how he nervously bites his lip, laughing to something Pierre said. He doesn’t engage as much as the others with the crowds, only waving from time to time and he doesn’t have a Daniel Ricciardo to drag him along like Max. 

Seb feels a pang of pity for him, wanting nothing more than to hug Charles and tell him that it’s okay. But he knows Charles wouldn’t want that, at least not here and Kimi sighs. “He’ll be fine, stop worrying.” 

It’s astounding how well Kimi can read him after all these years and Seb grins, adjusting his sunglasses and turns his back on Charles. He’ll be fine. 

“You wanna go for dinner later?”, Kimi interrupts his thoughts and Seb looks up frowning. “Didn’t we promise Lewis just five minutes ago-“ 

“They will be alright.” Kimi waves dismissively and a small smile is playing around his lips when he looks at Lando, Alex and George. 

Lando is shouting at the crowd, cheering with them while Alex is painting two small rainbow flags on George’s cheeks and Kimi smirks. “The kids truly are alright.” 

Seb agrees silently and Kimi turns back to him, pulling him a little bit closer. “There’s a really nice restaurant close to the canals in Camden. We can sit there, have dinner and enjoy the evening.” 

It does sound lovely and Seb smiles, warmth spreading through him. “Okay.”

**LANDO - JUNE 2021 - LONDON**

Lando has the time of his life, standing on the truck which is slowly moving through the streets of London, Alex and George next to him and his phone in his hands, taking pictures. 

“I got you some vegan snacks.” Lewis suddenly appears next to them, handing them some small reusable plastic bags and nodding at the water bottles. “And don’t forget to drink enough, it’s a hot day.”

“Yes, Dad.” Alex rolls his eyes but he’s smiling and Lewis ruffles his hair which gets him a squeak from Alex in return and Lando laughs, quickly taking Lewis’s phone from his hands. 

“Can I go live on the official F1 Instagram account?”, he asks him with big eyes, trying his best to look innocent and Lewis laughs, taking a sip from his red cup - god knows what’s in there. “Sure, just don’t do anything stupid.” 

“I would never.” Lando gives him his best puppy eyes while he’s already opening the app and George snorts.

“And there go our careers”, he mumbles and Alex puts an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. 

“Relax, it’s fine”, he says quietly while Lewis already went back to Nico. “No one knows.” 

“I just-“ George stops, shrugging and Lando’s thumb hovers over the ‘Go Live’ Button on Instagram for a second, hesitating before Alex and he pull George in a group hug. 

“We love you”, Alex whispers, pressing a sneaky kiss on George’s cheek. “And we shouldn’t worry, not today.” 

“All the other drivers are straight-“ 

“Seb, Kimi, Lewis and Nico aren’t. And if you look at Max and Dan...” Alex trails of and Lando laughs. “Mate, they’re together for years now.” 

“What?!” George stares at him and Lando blushes. Shit. “Oops. Max said I’m not allowed to tell anyone but eh...they’re quite obvious today.”

They all look back at Dan who’s dancing to ‘Girl Gone Wild’ by Madonna and Lando grins, starting the live video on Instagram. 

“Hi guys, it’s Lando Norris here...”, he starts, George still looking a bit overwhelmed and Lando makes sure to not film his two boyfriends, instead showing the viewers Daniel’s dancing skills and the cheering crowd. 

Dan waves at him, not looking bothered at all while Max shakes his head with a huge grin and Lando nearly drops his phone when Lewis suddenly shows up in front of him, handing Alex, George and him a few condoms. 

“Protect yourself”, is all he says, ignoring the camera and Lando is _so fucking glad_ the camera is still pointed at the crowd, not showing what Lewis just gave them. 

“Did you like the snacks?”, Lewis asks and when George nods, showing him one of the empty reusable plastic bags (when did he _eat_ , Lando didn’t notice at all), Lewis looks satisfied. 

“Good. Look after yourself, boys.” He strolls back to Nico after talking with Seb for a moment and Lando starts taking selfies with his two boyfriends. George seems to slowly relax as well, laughing and joking with them, throwing confetti in the crowd and when they reach Whitehall, Lando is pretty sure he never had so much fun. 

They step on the big stage, the people cheering and screaming - nothing Lando normally isn’t used to. But this is _Pride_ and he’s suddenly very glad Lewis is going to do the speech. 

His stomach drops just looking at all these people. 

He stays a bit more in the back with Alex and George, all three of them watching completely shocked how Max insults his own father in front of hundreds of thousands of people before he kisses Daniel, basically outing himself and apparently not giving a single fuck. 

“Holy shit”, Lando whispers, watching his best friend who’s still kissing Daniel, the crowd cheering louder than the fans at Silverstone and Lewis clears his throat, looking a bit unsure. There’s a smile on his face though and he turns towards the crowd, not looking nervous at all. 

“Thanks, Max”, he says amused, the crowd cheering while Max still ignores everything else around them and George pulls his phone from his pocket, going live on Instagram. 

“It’s a true honour to be here today, to support all of you - I feel really blessed.” Lewis’s smile widens, eyes travelling over the crowd which went quiet, staring at him. 

“Take a shot every time he says blessed”, Lando mumbles in Alex’s ear, making him giggle and George glares at them while Lewis keeps talking. 

“My fellow drivers and I know that Formula One isn’t the most...open or tolerant sport. Or diverse.” Lewis gives them a crooked grin, running a hand through his braided hair. “And I want you all to know that this today is incredibly special to me.” 

Wait, is he really-

“I grew up in Stevenage, a small black boy who always just had one dream: become a Formula One driver.” Lewis hesitates, it’s dead silent and his smile turns bitter. “But I am also gay. And that didn’t really work well with my dream so I hid that part of me for a very long time.” 

“Oh my god”, Lando whispers, Alex and George and the rest of the drivers (except Dan and Max who are still busy with each other) staring at Lewis speechless. “Is he really-“

“I’m gonna be honest with you guys: standing here today, saying all of these things loud- I’m so scared.” Lewis’s voice is still calm but he swallows dryly, eyes wandering over the crowd again. 

“But I’m done with hiding, with pretending to be someone who I’m not just so I can fit in some box people like to put me in. And if this just helps one person then that’s all I want. I’m feeling incredibly grateful and blessed for the opportunity the FIA - unintentionally - gave me today and I’ve decided to make the best of it. I’m a gay black man and since 2016 I’m also married to the love of my life.” 

Lewis extends his hand, Nico smiling and taking a step forward and the crowd erupts with cheers and screams, thousands of smartphones are pointed at them, Lando and the rest of the drivers screaming as well and Lewis’ smile widens, facing the crowd while still holding Nico’s hand. 

“Love is a beautiful thing, the most beautiful thing on earth - don’t be afraid of it. Don’t be afraid of yourself, be proud of who you are and always, always be unapologetically you.”

He pulls Nico in a soft kiss, smiling against his lips and George seems to have forgotten that he’s still live on Instagram, staring at Lewis in shock. Of course they knew he’s gay, knew that Nico and he are married but that he outs himself- the sponsors, Abu Dhabi- 

“Thank you all so much“, Lewis adds hoarsely, a small smile playing around his lips and he has tears in his eyes. “Love conquers all.”

He gives the mic back to the organiser, them all leaving the stage and Hulk stares at him, shaking his head. “That’s what I call Big Dick Energy, mate, congrats!” 

He pulls him in a bro-hug, patting his back (careful to not hit the wings) and Lewis laughs, eyes shining. “Thank you, man.” 

The rest of the drivers also come forward, congratulating Lewis on his amazing speech and Lando can feel himself relax, a smile on his lips when he sees Valtteri and Kevin hug Lewis. 

At least none of the guys here is openly homophobic and he leans against George who slings his arms around his hips, pulling him closer. They start mingling with the crowd, Lando lost track of the others pretty quickly - all he cares about is that he has Alex and George with him. 

They keep holding hands, blending in easily with the crowd with no one recognising them and they end up in some club in Soho. Lando stays close to his two boyfriends, dancing and singing to ‘Everybody’ by Backstreet Boys, wearing a flower crown he has no idea where he got it from but he’s not drinking - he wants to remember every second of that night. 

Wants to remember how free he feels, how nice it is to not be recognised for once, to just shamelessly make out with his two boyfriends in the middle of the dance floor - something he was never able to do before. 

That’s where it hits him, kissing Alex while George hugs him from behind, Lando between his two favourite people in the world and he can’t hold back the tears, sobbing in the middle of the club. No one pays him any attention though and Alex pulls back, staring at him in shock.

“Baby, are you okay?”, he asks and George gently spins him around, softly kissing the tears away. 

“I- I’m just-“ Lando needs a moment, the tears still streaming down his face and he takes Alex’s hand, pulling him closer while simultaneously leaning into George. 

“I’m just so fucking happy, y’know? I’m here with _you_ , I can do this-“ He stretches to kiss Alex before he turns to George, stretching and pressing their lips together as well before smiling at both of them with tears in his eyes. 

“And no one gives a shit. I’m just so fucking happy and I know this won’t stay forever like that but this night- I want this so badly.” He sniffs, George and Alex staring at him for a second before a soft smile spreads over George’s face. “We’ll get that, baby - I promise.” 

He kisses him so gently as if he’s scared Lando will break all while Alex runs his hand through Lando’s hair, nodding and kissing his cheek. 

“We’re happy too, baby. And we’ll get that future.”

**HULK - JUNE 2021 - LONDON**

He doesn’t know how he ended up with Valtteri and Kevin but Dan and Max had disappeared the second they were able to leave the stage and Hulk tries his best not to stare too much at Kevin’s ass. 

He’s _not_ gay. 

He’s here as a straight ally and so are Kevin and Valtteri. And just because Kevin and he fuck sometimes after a race doesn’t mean he’s gay. No homo, right? It’s just a bro thing to relieve some stress. 

Hulk still prefers women and a relationship with a man could never work anyway. 

He’s happy for Lewis, Nico, Max, Dan and the others (apparently even Seb and Kimi have something going on, not that he’d mind) and he’ll gladly support them but he’s not gay. Just an ally. 

“What a day”, Valtteri remarks while they squeeze through the crowd on Trafalgar Square, taking a sip from his beer and Hulk nods, his gaze wandering over the crowd. “I didn’t think it would be that nice.” 

“Me neither.” Hulk’s head snaps up when he hears Kevin’s voice, is he actually _agreeing_ with him?! That’s new. But Kevin doesn’t even look at him, instead staring at two men kissing in mid of all these people and Hulk would give his F1 seat for his thoughts. 

Okay, maybe not his F1 seat, after all, it was a real hustle getting it back in the first place and he really isn’t in the mood to jeopardise it but he would love to know what Kevin is thinking. 

Just as a friend. Not that they are friends. And he’s thinking way too much about Kevin and it’s getting a bit ridiculous. 

“Have you seen any one of the others?”, Valtteri asks at that moment, frowning but Kevin shakes his head. “Lewis basically disappeared the second we got down from that stage, same goes for Max and Dan.” 

“The kids are god knows where and Charles and Pierre- mate, I have no idea.” Hulk grins and Valtteri shakes his head amused. “At least they’re having fun.” 

He raises his beer, Hulk and Kevin follow with the gesture and they clink their bottles together, all taking a sip. Hulk can’t deny that he’s comfortable here though, the people being incredibly nice, the atmosphere is relaxed and they get free alcohol - what is there not to like? 

“Have you seen Lando, George and Alex?!” Seb shows up out of nowhere in front of them, Kimi trailing along behind him and Seb looks a little bit stressed, frowning. “We’ve lost them.” 

“Did Lewis ask you to babysit his kids?”, Valtteri asks dryly while Kevin and Hulk grin and Kimi snorts. “Yeah. Seb was stupid enough to say yes.” 

“He just said we should keep an eye on them”, Seb corrects him, eyes wandering over the crowd. “But that’s a little bit harder than I thought.” 

“Where’s your kid?”, Kevin asks dryly and Seb stares at him confused until Kevin adds “Charles”. 

“He’s _not my kid_ -“ 

“We lost him momentarily as well”, Kimi interrupts him, he doesn’t really look like he cares though. “Probably looking for Pierre.” 

There’s a small smirk on his face and Hulk raises an eyebrow, filing that information for later. Interesting. Seems like absolutely everyone except Valtteri, Kevin and him today is gay and Kevin laughs. “Sorry man, but we haven’t seen them.” 

“Scheiße”, Seb swears under his breath and Hulk grins at the German swear. 

“Well, guess we’ll keep searching then. See you later.” Seb gives them one last smile before he drags Kimi along and Valtteri grins. “Cute.”

“Did you know about them?”, Kevin asks while they keep squeezing through the crowd, not really having a destination and Valtteri nods. “But I think we all did.” 

He frowns when his phone starts ringing, pulling it from his pocket and giving them a quick smile after he saw the Caller ID. “I have to take this, excuse me for a second.” 

He disappears in the crowd, it’s probably Tiffany and Hulk is pretty sure that this was the last time they’ve seen him today. Kevin and he exchange a hesitant glance, Hulk trying to ignore the tension that’s building up in him. 

He hasn’t been alone with Kevin all day and he can’t help but be a little nervous without their usual Formula One setting. He has no idea how to act or what to do and- 

“Wanna check out that club over there?”, Kevin suggests out of nowhere and without thinking twice about it, Hulk agrees. 

That’s how they end up shouting along to ‘Flashdance...What A Feeling’ by Irene Cara, both with a beer in their hand and Hulk can’t believe he’s singing fucking karaoke with Kevin Magnussen. 

And when Kevin shouts “WHAT A FEELING” at him, with the biggest grin ever - let’s just say it’s been a while that Hulk had that much fun. He films Kevin, captioning it with ‘his singing is worse than Zeus’’ before putting the video on his Instagram story, ignoring the thousands of notifications. He can still worry about the medial backlash about today tomorrow. 

They haven’t seen Valtteri for hours but Hulk realises he doesn’t care when Kevin and he leave the club, walking through the still crowded streets, people partying, celebrating and kissing. It’s beautiful, warm summer night and he actually enjoys being here with Kevin, having the Dane all to himself. 

Kevin is telling him some story about his brother right now, blue eyes sparkling and Hulk’s stomach does a weird somersault thing when Kevin smiles at him. Strange. 

They get along surprisingly well, laughing and joking and Hulk catches himself smiling more and more and their hands brush against each other from time to time while walking. 

Hulk actually debates taking it (out of solidarity and it’s not like anyone would care and you can just hold your bro’s hand, right? Because that’s all they are after all) but freezes when a man suddenly appears in front of them. 

Hulk doesn’t know the guy but he’s clearly drunk, stumbling and Hulk wants to ask him if he’s alright when the man turns to a kissing gay couple. 

“Fucking faggots!”, he shouts, making a few steps towards them and the mood changes instantly. The two men flinch, breaking apart and something in Hulk switches, anger washing over him. What the- 

“Mate-“, one of the two men starts but Hulk is faster, making two quick steps forward. 

“What’s your problem, man?!”, he growls, pulling the man back from the couple. “Leave them alone.” 

That seems to have been the wrong choice of action. 

The guy turns around, glaring at him (but apparently not recognising him or he simply doesn’t care) and seizing him up and down. 

“Disgusting piece of shit, touch me one more time and you’ll regret it”, he hisses and Hulk raises one eyebrow. He easily towers over the man and he crosses his arms in front of his chest, looking down on him. As if he’s scared of that guy. 

“You think being gay is contagious?”, he asks amused and the guy snorts. “Fucking disgusting is what it is. It’s unnatural.” 

Hulk considers arguing but then Kevin steps next to him, arms crossed in front of his chest as all and glaring at the man. 

“Leave them alone”, he says in a low voice and Hulk nods. “Or we’ll call the police.” 

“What, so you’re one of them too?!” The guy spits on the ground in front of him, narrowing his eyes and Hulk looks him dead in the eye, not even blinking. “And what if?” 

He has never in his life been as angry as right now and the guy takes a step forward. “I’m gonna teach you a fucking lesson, fucking faggot. Show you how to be a proper man, punch you until you’re straight.” 

Hulk raises his eyebrows but doesn’t move back one inch, still towering over the guy. It’s eerily quiet, a small crowd has gathered around them and Hulk is pretty sure that at least two people are filming their exchange - not that he cares right now. 

“You’re threatening me?”, he asks incredulously and the guy sneers. “What, you scared?” 

“You wish.” Hulk laughs, still not believing this is really happening. What the actual fuck- 

“Fucking faggot!” 

Hulk reacts in a split second, dodging the guy’s fist and before he can think about it, he punches the guy hard in the face, making him stumble backwards and fall to the ground. 

His nose is bleeding and Hulk really has to hold himself back to not punch him again, instead spitting next to the man on the ground. 

“Disgusting piece of shit, fuck off and leave them alone or you’ll regret it”, he warns him, not seeing the warm look Kevin gives him. The man stares up at him incredulously, holding his bleeding nose (god Hulk hopes it’s broken) while the crowd is cheering and the gay couple gives him a grateful smile. 

“Nico Hulkenberg?!”, one of the spectators suddenly says incredulously, the man staring at Hulk actually shocked and a murmur goes through the crowd. Apparently they’re only realising now who just punched a homophobic asshole in the face and Hulk exchanges one quick look with Kevin, making his decision in the split of a second. 

“Run.” 

He takes Kevin’s hand, ignoring the shouts from the guy behind him (“I will fucking _sue_ you!”), just flipping the guy off before they start running, getting lost in the narrow alleys, laughing loudly and adrenaline flowing through his veins. 

“What the actual fuck?!”, Kevin shouts while they pass a tube station, Hulk just shakes his head - they’re both still laughing, nearly stumbling over their own feet, still holding hands and he feels a rush of endorphins. 

“Always wanted to punch a homophobic asshole!”, he yells back and Kevin snorts, blue eyes sparkling in the streetlights they pass and there’s nothing but fondness in his eyes when he looks at him. “You are amazing.” 

Hulk blushes, still running (god bless their daily training) and he bites on his lower lip, everything in him tingling. Kevin said he’s amazing. 

He tries to ignore the fact that the video of him punching that guy will definitely go viral - so much for not jeopardising his F1 seat. 

But he’s sure Cyril will understand and punching a homophobic asshole has to be a good excuse. And he’s wearing normal clothes and a cap and not his team gear, so it’s fine. And anyway, he’s pretty sure he got the public on his side for this one.

He’s kinda glad though that it happened to him and not one of the kids - he’s not sure what Lando would’ve done. 

“He deserved it”, he adds when they slow down a bit, both out of breath and Kevin laughs, shaking his head amused. “Never said something else.” 

Hulk looks at him, takes in the so familiar face, the blonde hair, his smile, the cute accent and he can’t stop smiling. 

Fuck the ‘No Homo’ bullshit. What he’s about to do definitely falls into the category ‘Very Homo’ but he couldn’t care less.

He pushes Kevin against the next wall, kissing him passionately and when Kevin returns the kiss immediately, slinging his arms around his neck and pulling him closer, Hulk is pretty sure the butterflies in his stomach are having a rave party right now. 

They make out in that dirty alley in the middle of London, the noise of distant Pride parties wavering over, adrenaline from the punch and the running still flowing through his veins and he pins Kevin a bit more against the wall, biting his bottom lip gently. 

And when Kevin moans loudly, the noise echoing through the empty alley and Hulk’s hard dick presses against Kevin’s thigh, he can’t hold back a grin anymore. 

Guess he’s not as straight as he thought he was. 

**CHARLES - JUNE 2021 - LONDON**

Look, Charles is definitely not homophobic. Really. He is just a closeted gay who’s absolutely terrified of any of the other drivers finding out about his sexuality and when the FIA said that he has to go to Pride in London - with _Pierre_ , the guy he’s been having a crush on since they were little kids - let’s just say he spent two days panicking in his flat, scared that anyone would pick up on him being something else than straight. 

And on his crush for Pierre. 

He had tried talking with Mattia about it, trying to convince him to send Carlos instead (“It would be good for his image!”) but Mattia didn’t listen, only saying that the FIA had decided and that there’s nothing he can do. 

And now he’s on fucking Trafalgar Square, completely alone in the middle of the crowd and he hates it. He feels nervous, sometimes taking selfies with fans when they recognise him but apart from that he has no idea what to do. 

He lost Alex, George and Lando around two hours ago and Pierre- Pierre is gone and Charles has no idea what to do, panic slowly overwhelming him. He has felt safe on that truck and that stage with Pierre by his side but now all alone- 

He breathes out in relief when he sees Seb and Kimi, giving them a tentative smile when he walks over to them and trying to calm his racing heart. He’s Charles Leclerc, _putain_ \- he should embrace this as some normal PR event. 

Wave at people, smile, give some autographs, be charming and take pictures with fans. But this is different, it’s so much more personal and he’s constantly scared to let something slip. 

Was he scared this morning that he’s the only gay driver (apart from Dan and Max, Dan has told him about their relationship. And Seb and Kimi but they don’t count) he knows by now that that’s not the case - but apparently he’s the only one of them who seems ashamed of his sexuality. 

Or not ashamed but rather absolutely terrified. 

He had hoped that Max- after everything Dan has told him about their relationship- 

But Max also has Daniel and Charles can’t help but envy him a little. Dan and he are good friends but he was obviously busy with helping his boyfriend to be comfortable today. Still, Charles wishes he could also have had a Daniel Ricciardo by his side even though he’s pretty sure he could’ve never come out as Max did. 

He could never come out at all. 

“You’re okay, kid?” Kimi’s voice interrupts his thoughts and Charles shrugs, taking a sip from his water bottle - he hasn’t drunk any alcohol all day, too scared to accidentally do anything stupid. His eyes wander over the crowd again and he flinches when Seb puts an arm around his shoulder, leading him a bit away from the crowd. 

“What’s going on?”, he asks, a concerned look on his face and even though Charles can’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses he knows Seb worries. He always does and he shrugs again, playing with the label of his water bottle. 

“I lost Alex, George, Lando and Pierre and none of them answers their phone”, he says lightly and Kimi raises his eyebrows. “Yeah, we lost the kids too but gave up on babysitting. They’re old enough.” That draws a smile out of Charles and he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. 

He has a headache, the events of the day slowly overwhelming him and he takes another long sip from his water bottle. He didn’t like the way people looked at Pierre, how they flirted with him and he got unnecessarily jealous. 

Not that he could’ve done much and while Pierre just laughed at the attention, blushing and smiling, Charles nearly killed someone. He didn’t though, only forcing himself to smile as well and not throwing his water bottle at the guy. 

Not that he can blame him - if he was a normal, gay man at Pride in London and saw Pierre Gasly, he also would’ve tried to flirt with him. But he isn’t so all he can do is be his best friend, praying that Pierre never finds out he’s been in love with him since they were kids. 

“We’re leaving soon.” Seb’s voice interrupts his thoughts and Charles looks up, panic gripping him. No, they can’t just leave him like that- they’re the only company he has- God, he wishes he could just embrace all of this as easily as the others, party with them and just have a good time. 

He hates himself for it, he normally isn’t that insecure at all but this day takes absolutely everything of him, the walls and facade he built over the last decade slowly crumbling and he doesn’t like that. 

“I’m coming with you”, he says quickly and Seb raises his eyebrows. “Charles-“ 

“I mingled with people, I took pictures with fans and I’ve been here long enough”, Charles interrupts him, trying not to sound too desperate. “Really, Seb, I behaved, I promise but-“ 

“You should talk with Pierre”, Kimi cuts him off and Charles stares at him, actually speechless. “What?!” 

“You should talk with Pierre”, Seb repeats a bit softer, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We know, Charles.”

Charles stares at him, feeling like someone just poured a bucket of ice water over his head and he swallows dryly, heart beating faster. How does he _know_ , what the actual fuck, did he- was he too obvious?! _Putain_.

“How do you know?”, he asks, his voice suddenly incredibly hoarse and Seb gives him a comforting smile. “I know you, Charles, and the way you look at him- you never looked at Charlotte like that.” 

That feels like a punch in the gut and Charles wants to say something, defend himself, deny it but he can’t and Seb keeps talking.

“Find him, talk with him and I’m sure it will be fine”, he says gently and Charles stares at him, swallowing dryly. “But I can’t, he’s not even gay-“ 

“How do you know that?”, Kimi interrupts him and Charles hesitates, helplessly running a hand through his hair. 

“I- we are friends, he would’ve told me-“ 

“Just like you told him?” Seb raises his eyebrows and Charles blushes, chewing on his bottom lip. “Look, he’s- he can’t know-“ 

“He doesn’t seem like the type to judge someone for being gay”, Seb says gently and squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. “Just talk to him okay? I have the feeling it would be good for both of you and I think he really likes you.” 

“And if it all goes wrong you can still say you were drunk or something like that. Trust me, works every time.” Kimi winks are him and Charles takes a deep breath, completely overwhelmed with everything. 

“Try finding him and text us later”, Seb says, pushing him gently but firmly in the crowd and Charles nervously licks his lips. Should he- can he- maybe Seb is right. Maybe he should talk with Pierre.

“Okay”, he whispers and Kimi gives him a rare smile while taking Seb’s hand. “It will be fine, kid. Good luck.” 

They disappear in the crowd and Charles takes another deep breath, unlocking his phone. He already wrote Pierre a few hours ago but didn’t get an answer and he hesitates.

He doesn’t want to annoy him but- oh fuck this shit. Charles presses on the small phone symbol, calling Pierre and his heart stops for a moment when he hears Pierre actually pick up. 

“Hello?” 

“Eh hi, I just wanted to know where you are?”, Charles asks hesitantly while moving a bit away from the crowd, pressing his phone against his ear. “I kinda lost you and I get it if you’re busy but-“

“No, no, no, oh my god”, Pierre interrupts him laughing and Charles can feel himself blush. God damn it. “I’m at Piccadilly Circus, at some shop that sells cinnamon buns and they’re apparently really good, do you want to come?” 

Pierre sounds excited and Charles involuntarily smiles, already pulling up Google Maps for directions.

“I’d love to”, he answers, pushing past people and trying to remember where he has to go. “Really.” 

“Okay, see you soon then, I’m sending you my location on WhatsApp!” Pierre hangs up and Charles smiles, a warm feeling spreading through him. Maybe Seb was right. 

A short time later he’s at Piccadilly Circus, looking around searchingly and he smiles when he spots Pierre sitting on the steps, a small box on his lap. 

“Hey.” He falls down next to him and Pierre smiles, somehow trying to eat his cinnamon roll with the plastic fork he got. 

“Hey, you’re okay?”, he asks and Charles nods, taking a deep breath. It’s not as crowded as at Trafalgar Square, the sun slowly setting and the air is warm. He feels himself calming down and he swallows dryly.

“You wanna walk for a bit?”, he asks casually and Pierre nods, finishing his cinnamon roll. “Sounds good.” 

He gets up, throwing the small box away before offering Charles his hand to pull him up and Charles smiles, taking it. 

To his surprise though, Pierre doesn’t let go off his hand while they start walking and Charles’ heart skips a beat. He glances at Pierre and when their eyes meet Pierre blushes, smiling shyly.

Both of them don’t say a word though and they walk towards the Themes, holding hands and enjoying the quieter areas they encounter. They fall down on the grass close to the river, Pierre leaning against Charles and staring at the water. 

“What a day, huh?”, he says with a crooked grin and Charles nods, heart still beating in his throat. 

“What a day”, he repeats and before he can think any longer about it he takes Pierre’s hand again. Pierre looks at him, just smiling with a faint blush on his cheeks and Charles swallows dryly, trying to find the right words. 

“There’s been something on my mind for quite a while now and doing this today feels a bit cliché but I talked with Seb about this and... and this is harder than I thought it would be”, he starts, avoiding to look Pierre in the eyes. 

When he feels a soft squeeze on his hand though and looks up, Pierre is smiling at him, still holding his hand. 

“Go on?”, he asks him softly and Charles takes a deep breath. 

“I’minlovewithyou”, he says quickly and Pierre blinks, looking confused. “What?” 

“I”, Charles tries his best to stop his voice from shaking, his cheeks burning, “am in love with you. For quite a while already actually.” 

He feels a lump forming in his throat and he swallows down the tears, why did he have to say something, what if he ruined everything with it-

He flinches when he feels Pierre’s hand lifting his chin gently and he’s still smiling, his hand carefully holding Charles’ face while his thumb strokes over his cheek. 

“Good”, is all he says before leans in, pressing his lips against Charles’ and Charles freezes for a millisecond before he kisses him back, pulling Pierre closer. 

His lips are so warm and soft and Charles can’t believe this is actually happening. Pierre is _kissing_ him, this is no dream and everything in him is tingling. 

“Good”, Pierre repeats when he pulls back, still smiling and leaning his forehead against Charles’, “because I’m also in love with you.”

**NICO - JUNE 2021 - LONDON**

Nico has always been the one who gets up early. Doesn’t matter if it was during a race weekend, during their holidays or when he‘s back home in Monaco - it is always him who prepares breakfast and feeds the dogs. 

That’s why he’s not surprised at all when he wakes up at dawn, the morning after Pride, his phone telling him it’s 6 am and he rolls over, smiling when he sees that Lewis is still sleeping peacefully. 

Of course. 

Nico’s hand gently trails over the exposed tattoos, there’s still some glitter sticking to Lewis’ skin and in their bed and he smiles, yesterday a distant memory. They actually did it. They actually outed themselves in the most dramatic and extra way possible and Nico smiles, his heart beating a bit faster. 

He’s pretty sure the media is going to have a field day with this and he can’t wait to see what they wrote about them. He yawns, stretching a little and pressing a soft kiss on Lewis’ cheek before he gets up, throwing a random T-Shirt and some pants on before he makes his way in the kitchen - they have guests after all. 

For whatever reason, one driver after another slowly found his way to their flat, rather sleeping here than in the fancy hotel, probably hoping for some sense of community and companionship in the morning - after all, they’re all in the same boat. Somehow. 

Except for Valtteri, who, as far as Nico can remember, is still straight - the only one. He still came to their flat the last night, sleeping in one of the spare rooms and Nico yawns again. 

He smiles when he takes a look in their guest room, their ki- Alex, George and Lando still sleeping, cuddled up in the huge bed with Lando tucked between his two boyfriends in the middle. 

Nico keeps walking, rubbing his eyes, ignoring the glitter and feathers that are still laying around everywhere and he nearly stumbles over Charles and Pierre who are sleeping on the floor. 

Charles’ head is laying on Pierre’s chest and Nico sighs before he gets them a blanket and a few pillows - he has no idea why they’re sleeping in his hallway on the ground. He knows Seb and Kimi took the other guest room but they have three very comfortable sofas in the front room and as much as he remembers, those two weren’t drunk at all when they came back. 

Speaking of the front room and being drunk, Nico is not surprised to see that Max and Dan are still sleeping. They’re both all tangled up in each other, Dan not wearing a shirt and holding Max close against his chest, snoring lightly. These two were the last ones who came home last night, around 3 am, drunk and happy and so in love and Nico shakes his head amused, pulling the blanket a bit higher over them so they don’t get cold. 

On the sofa across from them are Hulk and Kevin, both still sleeping as well. They’re both squished next to each other on the sofa, holding hands and Nico can’t resist taking a quick picture, grinning to himself. Cute. 

He makes his way into the empty kitchen, smiling when he hears the sound of paws on parquet and not two seconds later Roscoe and Coco slide around the corner, looking at him expectantly, their tails wiggling excitedly. 

Nico pats them, scratching Roscoe behind his ears before he fills some food into their bowls and makes himself some coffee. He leans against the kitchen island before he unlocks his phone, ignoring all the messages and when he sees the news, he nearly chokes on his coffee, laughing out loud. 

Fuck, people are still sleeping, he needs to stay quiet. Nico bites on his bottom lip, scrolling through the hundreds of articles and he can’t stop grinning. 

_‘Formula One drivers cause a stir at Gay Pride in London yesterday’_

_‘Hamilton outs himself as gay, admits he’s married to former rival Rosberg since 2016’_

_‘Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo dating?!’_

_Watch: Lewis Hamilton’s full speech from Gay Pride in London yesterday’_

_’Hulkenberg starts brawl at Pride - punches man for homophobic slurs’_

_’Seven times World Champion Lewis Hamilton comes out as gay’_

Nico stares at his phone, a huge grin on his face and he declines Toto’s incoming call, rather watching the video of Hulk punching some homophobic asshole. 

Holy shit they really caused quite some trouble, didn’t they?

He can’t stop grinning though and he nearly runs - as quietly as he can - back to their bedroom, waking up Lewis. 

“Baby”, he whispers, shaking him a bit. “Baby, we are so fucked.” He says it’s jokingly but there’s a warning undertone in his voice and Lewis stirs, blinking sleepily are him. 

“What?”, he mumbles and Nico gives him a crooked grin. “Wanna watch the news?” 

Lewis stares at him for another second before his brain seems to catch up and he sits up faster than Nico expected him to. 

“Fuck!” He jumps up, nearly crashing on the ground with his legs still tangled up in the sheets and Nico steadies him, helping him to get out of it. 

“Fuck”, Lewis repeats when he reads the headlines on Nico’s phone and Nico grins. “Yep. Coffee?” 

They make their way back in the kitchen and Nico reads the articles to Lewis while Lewis starts making breakfast, probably glad to have something to do to keep himself occupied. 

“Do you regret it?”, Nico asks while Lewis mixes some oats but his husband shakes his head, only taking a deep breath. “No. But it’s still a little scary.” 

“What’s scary?” They both look up at Max’s sleepy voice, Max standing in the doorway with Daniel behind him and Nico gives him a testing smile. 

“You might want to sit down for this, Max”, he says carefully and Max frowns but does what he’s told, falling on a free chair while not letting go of Daniel once. 

“Thanks, mate”, Dan mumbles when Nico hands him some coffee, looking like he would rather still be asleep and Lewis sighs.

“Let’s wake the others and then we tell all of them”, he says dryly, disappearing in the hallway. 

“Tell what?” Max slowly looks from Nico to Dan, he looks incredibly hangover and Nico bites his lip, instead pushing some fruits over. “You’re hungry?” 

Given, not his best stalling technique but it works, Max eating on some strawberries and not ten minutes later the others are in the kitchen as well. 

“You made breakfast for _everyone_?”, Lando asks skeptical while leaning against George, Alex yawning and hugging him from behind. “But they’re not part of Family 44!”

“They’re our guests today so they get breakfast”, Lewis says, giving him a pointed look before he frowns. “Even though I really don’t get why you all showed up here last night.” 

“Didn’t want to deal alone with the fallout of yesterday.” Hulk grins, stirring in his coffee while sitting suspiciously close to Kevin, their knees touching. 

“ _Putain_ ”, Charles mumbles when he seems to remember what exactly happened yesterday and Max chews on his bottom lip.

“How bad are the fans reacting?”, he asks slowly, Nico sees him fidgeting with his phone in his hand until Dan gently takes his hand, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek and Max relaxes visibly. 

“The fans aren’t that much of a problem.” Lewis scrolls through his phone, shrugging. “You always have the assholes but most of them take it pretty well I guess? Say it doesn’t matter and all. But everyone is talking about us, we’re trending on Twitter and the videos went viral.” 

He grimaces and Max nods slowly while Kimi clears his throat. 

“Fuck them and fuck the FIA”, he says, his voice raspy. “They said we should help them get a better image and that’s what we did.” He puts an arm around Seb who nods quietly and Kevin sighs. 

“Who do they know about?”, he asks and Nico checks his phone. “Well, obviously Lewis and me, and Max and Dan. They have suspicions about Seb and Kimi and Kevin and you but the rest was just ‘showing support for the community’.” 

From the corner of his eye, he sees Charles relax visibly and Max shrugs, squeezing Dan’s hand. “I don’t give a shit, mate. I stand by what I said yesterday.” 

“How many unanswered calls from your dad do you have?”, Lando asks amused and Max snorts. “10 but he can go fuck himself. Christian said ages ago he wouldn’t mind a gay driver.” 

“Some fans argue it was a PR stunt.” Lewis rolls his eyes, looking up from his phone and taking a sip from his coffee. “As if.” 

He gives Nico a small smile and Dan grins. “Let them be delusional, we can still prove them wrong with every day, with every Instagram post and with every race.” 

“We should be fine”, Seb throws in calmly. “There have always been rumours and I know that most team bosses are pretty chill with it as Max said. The only problem I see could be the sponsors.” 

“Yeah but they could get replaced by more open-minded ones”, George says quietly. “I mean- there are enough, right? Even if they just pretend to be tolerant.” 

“George is right”, Lewis nods, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Even though we probably still have to deal with some phone calls today. But maybe we really changed the world for the better with our actions - even if it’s just a little.” 

It’s quiet for a while, all of them lost in their own thoughts before Dan looks up, a huge grin on his face. 

“So much for ‘behaving’ and ‘not doing anything stupid’, eh?”

**LEWIS - A FEW DAYS LATER - IN THE PADDOCK**

“This will have consequences.” Jean Todt, Head of the FIA, stares at them with a cold look in his eyes and Lewis can feel Lando shift nervously next to him. All of the drivers are assembled in the small office, their team bosses as well, looking visibly uncomfortable and Lewis clears his throat. 

“Why?” 

He knew this was coming. Knew the FIA is pissed but he doesn’t care. Toto wasn’t really angry, just told him he maybe should’ve talked with him beforehand about it and Lewis crosses his arms in front of his chest. “We didn’t do anything bad-“ 

“You created one of the biggest PR stunts in history!”, Todt hisses and Max raises his eyebrows while holding Dan’s hand. “It’s not a PR stunt.” 

“You will all get punished for this, it’s-“ 

“That’s a bit homophobic, isn’t it?”, Lewis interrupts him calmly and Toto nods. “We have no problem with Lewis being gay-“ 

“But-“

“And no one of us will face any consequences for being _in love_.” Max snorts, shaking his head and Dan nods. “It’s not a PR stunt and it might have come across a little uncoordinated and rushed but we talked with our team bosses before. Max and I have been hiding for years and we’re done with it.” 

“Same goes for Nico and me and if we just helped one person with this it was all worth it”, Lewis adds, sitting up a bit straighter. “But in case you still wanna punish us, go ahead - Nico and I would love to give a long and exclusive TV interview with details about our marriage and all the homophobia we’ve received from our _own organisation_.” 

He gives Todt a challenging look, it’s dead silent in the room and Christian clears his throat. 

“We - I - support them”, he says and Mattia nods as well. “We have more important problems than that.” 

From the corner of his eyes, Lewis sees Charles relax visibly, sitting suspiciously close to Pierre and Todt shakes his head incredulously. “Hulkenberg punched a fan!” 

“Technically speaking he was not a fan-“, Kevin starts but shuts up when he sees Günther’s glare and Hulk clears his throat.

“He attacked me first”, he says and Cyril nods. “We are not happy with how the situation played out but it got positive feedback from the public and the police never opened any investigation.” 

“He’s still suspended for the next race”, Todt grumbles and Hulk shrugs, leaning back in his chair. Todt’s eyes wander over the drivers and Lewis holds his gaze without blinking - he fought so long for this he definitely won’t give in now. 

“I- oh for fuck’s sake”, Todt mumbles, clearly not happy with it but he nods. “Alright, you all didn’t break any rules except Hulkenberg”, he says reluctantly and Dan grins. “Peachy. Can we go?”

“Yes.” Todt rolls his eyes, dismissing them with a wave of his hand and when they’re back in the paddock, their team bosses already leaving, Lando starts grinning. 

“Does this mean we can go again next year?”

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on tumblr @ [verstappened](https://verstappened.tumblr.com/) 💛 
> 
> Kudos and comments are very appreciated thanksss 💛


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